Learning Reps

Union Learning Reps

Voice's Union Learning Representatives will help members to identify and address their skill gaps through learning, promoting choice and increasing career options.

We hope this will empower members to achieve a wide range of qualifications, starting with an essential skills check, then progressing upwards through the qualifications framework.

Our Choices for Change programme aims to lay the foundations so that Voice members will be able to plan their careers and drive career progression through choice.

Choices for Change is about giving members choices for the future. It could help teaching assistants to become teachers and other support staff to become teaching assistants. It could help teachers to develop leadership opportunities, enhance mentoring skills within their workplace and strengthen their subject knowledge.

Voice and our Union Lerning Representatives will be working with members to set out and achieve goals, by establishing strategies to ensure positive outcomes that will serve to enhance learning and education.

If you are interested in getting involved with Choices for Change, please complete our expression of interest form.

What is the Role of a Union Learning Representative (ULR)?

ULRs are instrumental in championing the importance of training and development;

ULRs give members information and advice about learning and training opportunities;

ULRs work with third parties such, as local colleges to set up courses in workplaces;

ULRs carry out training needs analyses in workplaces;

ULRs help break down barriers to learning such as time and funding; and

ensure equality matters in lifelong learning.

Choices for Change will improve Equality within Voice workplaces.

A word from our General Secretary Deborah Lawson, about Choices for Change:

“Voice is ideally placed to support Union Learning Reps and I am proud to be launching Union Learning Reps within Voice. Learning changes lives, changes attitudes and provides, opportunities for the future, something that I am sure will be of major value to Voice members in today's ever-changing careers landscape."

Choices for Change will be sending out surveys, hosting dissemination events and, most importantly, we want to know your views. Choices for Changes has Voice members at the heart of it, built by our members, for our members, to empower Voice members.

If you are interested in getting involved with Choices for Change, please complete our expression of interest form.

Equality through Choices for Change

A key part of this pilot project will have equalities underpinning it, as it will be empowering women members who are currently teachers, teaching assistants, nursery nurses and support staff within their workplaces to aspire to develop their careers to reach new levels.

There are many challenges currently faced throughout the early years and teaching profession. One issue we hear a lot of from our members is work-related stress and, through Choices for Change, this can be identified and tackled. We will work with third party organisations, such as Mind and the NHS, to ensure that awareness is raised about the issues and courses, such as mindfulness, can be promoted, set up and attended by Voice members.

One of the first issues to be removed from the Equality Act as a protected characteristic was socio-economic impact. Voice aims to work in geographical areas of the country where opportunities for Voice members are limited and increase life chances for members in those areas.

If you are interested in getting involved with Choices for Change, pleasecomplete our expression of interest form.

The Technical Bits

Full training for the Union Learning Represenative role will be provided and there is time off for union learning representatives, to be negotiated with the employer.

The Employment Rights Act 2002 gives trade union learning representatives rights to time off to carry out their duties as a learning representatives. The Act gives facilities to the representatives, such as noticeboards, locked filing cabinets and space to carry out their activities, and unpaid time for learners to consult with their union learning representative about learning.

If you are interested in getting involved with Choices for Change, please complete our expression of interest form.